A rewrite of Santa Fe's telecommunication ordinance and a proposed new franchise are drawing opposition from people who say they would allow wireless firms to hide the location of their antennas.

City Attorney Frank Katz said large parts of the existing telecommunication ordinance were deemed unconstitutional in 2004, but efforts to update it didn't begin until recently when two firms inquired about installing new systems.

NewPath Networks of Seattle is proposing a distributed antenna system to enhance wireless service in downtown Santa Fe. (The proposed franchise would allow NewPath to use city rights of way.)

CityLink Fiber Holdings of Albuquerque is proposing a fiber-optic cable in the southern part of town that would increase data-transmission speeds.

About 20 people concerned about the health effects of electromagnetic frequencies attended Wednesday's Public Utilities Committee meeting. But councilors on the panel decided to wait until a meeting in December to hear public comments.

One of the opponents, Katie Singer, presented a written statement, asking the councilors how they could approve a wireless system that might have detrimental effects on public health.

Todd Wells, a lawyer for NewPath who attended Wednesday's hearing, said distributed antenna systems use multiple small, low-powered antennas instead of cellular systems that use fewer but more high-powered antennas.

"This is ultra low emission," he said. "It's a great solution for the exact concerns that they have. These antennas transmit at fractions of ordinary electric devices in your home."

Also attending the hearing was John M. Brown, president and co-founder of CityLink Fiber Holdings, who said his firm deals only in fiber-optic cables — not wireless systems.

Both Wells and Brown said outside the hearing that their firms are considering installing new systems in Santa Fe, but first they need the city to update its telecommunications ordinance. Katz said the proposed rewrite is largely taken from Albuquerque's telecommunication ordinance.

Another critic of the proposed changes, Elaina Benson, noted that the proposed ordinance has two provisions that call for information about construction plans and maps of systems to be kept confidential as trade secrets. She said this would mean the firms would not be forced to disclose the whereabouts of radiation-emitting antennas.

Jeanne Price, city legislative liaison, said neither the proposed telecommunication ordinance nor the franchise would change land-use laws that regulate the placement of antennas in historic zones and other parts of the city.

The two proposed ordinances will go to the city Finance and Public Works committees, as well as to the Public Utilities Committee again, before they head to the full City Council — probably early next year. The opponents said they plan to return for public hearings before all city panels.

Contact Tom Sharpe at 986-3080 or tsharpe@sfnewmexican.com.